Books › The School for Good and Evil
The School for Good and Evil
560 pages
A wickedly clever subversion of fairy-tale tropes wrapped in a glittering, gothic-tinged exploration of friendship.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a funhouse mirror version of the fairy tales you grew up with, where the princesses are vicious and the witches are deeply misunderstood. It moves with a brisk, theatrical energy, sweeping you through glittering ballrooms and gloomy dungeons with equal delight. The prose is highly visual and laced with a wicked, snarky humor that constantly pokes fun at the rigid binaries of classic folklore. Yet, beneath the gothic-lite aesthetic and the delightfully catty school drama lies a surprisingly tender exploration of female friendship and the messy, complicated reality of growing up. It is a perfect fit for readers who crave a little poison in their candy apples and love watching characters tear down the boxes society tries to force them into.
- Mood
- whimsical
- gothic-lite
- enchanting
- slightly sinister
- Tone
- snarky
- theatrical
- darkly comedic
- subversive
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the illusion of appearances · complexity of female friendship · duality of human nature · subverting expectations
- The writing
- Cinematic and highly visual, laced with a wicked, fairy-tale theatricality and sharp humor.
- The arc
- Moves from rigid certainty about identity to a chaotic, messy realization that people are more than just their labels, culminating in fierce loyalty.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave fractured fairy tales, gothic aesthetics, and stories about complicated, intense female friendships.
Content notes
- bullying
- mild fantasy violence
- body image themes
About the book
A dark and enchanting fantasy adventure perfect for those who prefer their fairytales with a twist. The first in the bestselling School for Good and Evil series.
Every four years, two girls are kidnapped from the village of Gavaldon. Legend has it these lost children are sent to the School for Good and Evil, the fabled institution where they become fairytale heroes or villains.
With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White at the School for Good. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black dresses and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.
But the two girls soon find their fortunes reversed – Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.
But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are?
Description from Open Library.
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